Otra offers hot and cold tapas in the same manner Bacaro does — patrons mark off orders on a paper menu — though the options have been culled to principal dishes . Slices of jamon Serrano , salchichon de bellota Iberico , Manchego and Idiazabel are enough to entertain drinkers at the bar , which is a world unto itself . But the surprising thing about Otra is that the theatrics lie in its large plates , rather than the revolving pintxos ( tapas served on a stick ), montaditos ( served on toasted bread ) and bocadillos ( small sandwiches ).
This is also where the serving staff proves invaluable , offering not only earnest glee at the start of a meal (“ I know what ’ s coming and I couldn ’ t be more excited for you !”) but a plan for the evening that hits as many wideranging notes as possible . There are common threads that run through the menu — shellfish , rice , potatoes — but there are also dishes defined by wild abandon . Housemade potato chips are plated with crystallized wildflower
honey and a shower of fresh cracked black pepper ($ 8 ), a timeless rendition of hot honey before it became vogue . Huevos cabreados ( translation is smashed eggs , $ 12 ) — a plate of shoestring fries with spicy tomato sauce and a soft fried egg — is a madman ’ s creation that interrupts the grandeur of the soaring space with unpretentious hedonism . Tossed tableside , it ’ s a memoried whiff of Tini ’ s hot sauce and aioli fries , circa 2013 . There ’ s nothing small about this plate , though ; it ’ s a platter of what you might find in a Granadan fridge at 2 a . m ., and it ’ s so good that the host and several servers will walk by in slow motion to nod their head in approval . It ’ s also proof that , while Otra ’ s glamour is evident — in its hues of lush gray-black and polished white — Kingsford ’ s kitchen is forever hearth-oriented .
This is most evident in the restaurant ’ s large plates , which range from $ 30 to $ 45 but hit the table like the Ramsay ’ s tureen of beef daube : full of evocation and the promise of a long night spent in conversation . Slabs of sirloin steak come with rustic slices of potato or with roasted marrow ($ 40 ), each vying for the top prize in indulgence . But the soul of this restaurant comes in a casserole : paella de marisco simmering in lobster stock ($ 40 ), duck confit nestled in white beans and jamon ($ 35 ), littlenecks sidling up to Toulouse sausage and white wine ($ 35 ). Every pan arrives at the table hot from the fire and , if it looks simple , that ’ s a hoax of wafting smoke . These are stews created in layers that carry the history of a culture reliant on such a range of people and topography that nuance becomes the very backbone of the dish . Casual , here , is as complex as it gets .
That ’ s not to say Otra doesn ’ t have a side that simply loves a party . Shimmying through a tight space of storytelling patrons , one indefatigable server said , “ Just call me Shakira ! The drinks are coming through one way or another !” The easy option is just to stick to the bar — its own minute city — drinking your way into dessert which also lingers in intoxication . Flan is topped with housemade burnt orange marmalade and , if you ’ re full of paella , the blood orange ice drenched in cava interprets a Venetian classic called sgroppino , an Italian sparkling white wine mixed with fresh lemon granita or lemon sorbetto . The palate cleanser is like a liquored-up slushie in a martini glass . Don ’ t be surprised if your server offers another wave of validation if you choose it : The fine line between debauchery and refinement is the one everyone at Otra is looking to walk .
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment here is that this restaurant feels nothing like its older sibling , nor does it incite competition . The space is singular , the inspiration distinctive , and even the diners are changed after a meal . Eventually the massive doors will close for the evening , but Spain and Portugal linger in the mind long after . So much so that you may , temporarily , forget Italy altogether . �
112 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MAY 2022